How God Grows a Strong Boy by Elijah Adkins

Elijah Adkins

© 2023 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1-63609-679-7 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher. Reproduced text may not be used on the World Wide Web. Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Barbour Publishing, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “From How God Grows a Strong Boy, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Scripture quotations are taken from the New Life Version (nlv) copyright © 1969 and 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio, 44683. All rights reserved.

Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., 1810 Barbour Drive, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com Our mission is to inspire the world with the life-changing message of the Bible.

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Introduction

God Is Growing You into a Strong Boy! “Be strong and have strength of heart. Do not be afraid or shake with fear because of them. For the Lord your God is the One Who goes with you. He will be faithful to you. He will not leave you alone.”

D euteronomy 31:6

God has big plans for you. And you can be confident in His plans because every day He is growing you into a strong boy. He will always be with you, and He will give you just the strength you need to choose faith over fear.

These devotions and prayers were written with you in mind. They are powerful reminders of the hope you have because you’re God’s boy. Touching on topics that matter to you, like family, friendships, trust, hope, and prayer, these readings will help you develop a deeper relationship with God as you grow into the strong boy He designed you to be.

With Him by your side, you can stand strong—no matter what.

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It’s Your Turn “Have I not told you? Be strong and have strength of heart! Do not be afraid or lose faith. For the Lord your God is with you anywhere you go.”

J oshua 1:9

Joshua had followed Moses—a strong, godly leader—for years. The journey had brought him through some fierce battles. He’d watched as enemies fell left and right—as God brought victory to his leader each time. But now Moses was gone, and Joshua needed to take his place.

Gulp.

What does that have to do with you? Well, every boy reaches a point when, like Joshua, he needs to make important decisions of his own. He has to take everything he’s learned and decide how he’s going to live his life.

Here’s some great news: as long as you keep following God, He’ll work powerfully in your life, slowly but surely forming you into the strong boy He intended you to be. So when that moment finally comes, you can stand up and say, “I’m ready, God!” Now that’s a cause for courage.

Lord, I want to be strong when You call me— just like Joshua. Keep teaching me each day so I’ll be prepared when the moment finally arrives.

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Waiting— Not for the Weak Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart be strong. Yes, wait for the Lord.

P salm 27:14

When you think of being strong, what comes to mind? A superhero flying through swarms of bad guys? A wrestler flexing his muscles?

Well, what about. . .waiting?

Imagine being in a room with a piece of candy. It’s not your favorite, but hey—it’s candy! Your parents say, “You can’t eat that now. It’ll spoil your appetite for dinner.” Seconds tick by, then minutes, then hours. Soon, all you can think of is the candy across the room.

Finally, dinnertime arrives, and you devour everything on your plate. As you take your last bite, you see your mom take your favorite ice cream out of the freezer.

Suddenly, that candy is the last thing on your mind—the ice cream is so much better.

God’s promises are like that. Sometimes, you might get frustrated at God for asking you to wait for something. But as with that silly candy story, you’ll soon learn that God has some great surprises awaiting.

Lord, give me the strength to wait. I know what You have in store for me will be worth it.

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No Fear Here “Do not be afraid. For I have bought you and made you free. I have called you by name. You are Mine!”

I saiah 43:1

Imagine trying to be perfect without God. First, you’d have to stop sinning. . .for good. Second, you’d have to find a way to somehow get rid of all your past sins (time travel, maybe?). And then you’d have to learn literally everything all at once, just so you can always make the right decision at every point.

Ready? Okay, let’s start in 3. . . 2. . . 1. . .

We’re kidding, of course. Nobody could possibly do any of that. And even if you tried, you’d be paralyzed with fear for the rest of your life. One small mistake, and you’d be done for. How awful.

Thankfully, God knows this. That’s why He sent Jesus—the only perfect Person in history—to take the punishment for our sins.

Now, there’s no need to fear whenever you slip up.

Instead, just ask God to forgive you. And just like that, your sin will be gone.

Thank You, Jesus, for making it possible for me to be forgiven. You’re the only way I can be strong.

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A Different Kind of Hope Be strong. Be strong in heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

P salm 31:24

Have you ever hoped for something good to happen?

Maybe the teacher was calling out names for a group project, and you hoped you’d get paired with your best friend.

Sometimes, those hopes come true. Other times, reality is disappointing.

Thankfully, that kind of hope isn’t the kind that today’s verse is talking about. Hoping in the Lord isn’t wishing for something; it’s a solid confidence that God’s promises will come to pass.

Imagine walking through a dark tunnel filled with snakes and deep pits, armed with nothing but that first kind of hope. Yikes! Well, now imagine walking through that same tunnel, but this time, you’re right behind a grown-up with a flashlight.

Much better, right?

Thankfully, that’s exactly the kind of hope God provides for His kids when life gets scary. Strong boys don’t wish for something to happen—they put their hope in God. God, I want my hope in You to be strong, not wishy-washy or doubtful. That’s the only way I can be strong enough to face challenges.

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Fear—Who Needs It? For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind.

2 T imothy 1:7

If anyone had a right to be afraid, it was the apostle Paul.

Many people tried telling him to pipe down about the gospel, and when that didn’t work, they tried to kill him.

In fact, when Paul wrote today’s verse, he was in prison, preparing to die for Jesus.

So how could this guy talk like everything was fine?

How could he teach the importance of fearlessness and love and a “good mind”? Didn’t he realize how bad his situation was?

Yes, he knew (see 2 Timothy 4:6). But he also knew that the only thing those bad men could do was speed up his trip to heaven. He didn’t see that as much of a threat.

The next time you feel uncomfortable about sharing the gospel with someone, remember Paul’s example. With God on his side, a strong boy has nothing to fear.

Lord, I want to tell others about You. No matter what happens, remind me that I have nothing to fear—and every reason to be happy.

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The Bright Side “I have told you these things so you may have peace in Me. In the world you will have much trouble.

But take hope! I have power over the world!”

J ohn 16:33

Have you ever watched the news? If so, you probably saw a bunch of serious reporters showing videos of crime, talking about money problems, and going on about how we’re all in so much trouble. Maybe there was a little nugget of good news somewhere in the middle, but then the bad stuff started back up again and drowned it all out.

No wonder some grown-ups are so depressed all the time.

Jesus knew all about this, so He gave His followers some important encouragement in today’s verse. When life gets us down, we can be strong. Why? Because Jesus has “power over the world.” Even if everything else goes wrong, there’s one right thing that will stay right until the end of time—God’s promise to lead His children home.

Now that’s some good news.

Lord Jesus, thank You for all the hope You bring.

Help me to always focus on the bright side of things—because that’s where You are.

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True Joy So we can say for sure, “The Lord is my Helper.

I am not afraid of anything man can do to me.”

H ebrews 13:6

Alex was an ordinary fifth grader. He had a few good friends, did well in his classes, and didn’t have a lot of problems with bullies. Nothing too hard, but nothing too great either.

Then one Sunday at church, something strange happened. The preacher’s words suddenly seemed real to him. Unable to explain this powerful new feeling, Alex accepted Jesus as his Savior.

The change was immediate. Each day, Alex woke up with a smile on his face and a song in his heart. But not everyone was as thrilled. Soon, some of his “friends” started making fun of him, calling him nasty names and mocking God. But Alex didn’t back down. His newfound happiness far outweighed any funny look or insult. Now that he’d found real joy, no bully could ever convince him to go back.

Lord, help me to stay strong, even when others try to get me to go back. Nothing compares to the great new life You’ve given me.

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A Place to Stand On This is the last thing I want to say: Be strong with the Lord’s strength.

E phesians 6:10

Have you heard of Archimedes? He was an ancient Greek guy who is well known for his work on things like pulleys and levers. A lever is like a teeter-totter, but with a movable middle bar. If you move the bar (known as a “fulcrum”) closer to a heavy object, you easily can lift that object by pulling down the long part of the teeter-totter.

Archimedes supposedly said of the lever, “Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the earth.”

You know what? God has given you a place to stand on—and it’s Him. And using your faith in Him, like the bar of the lever, you can move the earth too. Or at least a mountain, like Jesus said (see Matthew 17:20).

Whenever you run into a big, heavy problem, you know that your own strength just won’t cut it. But God’s strength? It’s more than enough.

God, help me always to trust in Your power instead of my own. That’s the only way I’ll ever be a strong boy.

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Much-Needed Support “But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” says the Lord.

“Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, head religious leader. And be strong, all you people of the land,” says the Lord. “Do the work, for I am with you.”

H aggai 2:4

Jordan’s knees were knocking as he got up to speak. He’d been chosen to recite the Gettysburg Address at a Memorial Day service, and he was scared. There were a lot more people in the audience than he expected, and he was sweating.

As he walked to the microphone, though, he noticed some movement in the back of the crowd. A man in Army fatigues was edging his way into the back seats—it was Jordan’s dad! He’d been away in the service for months, and now here he was to support Jordan.

The boy took a deep breath, locked eyes with his dad, and started talking. And before he knew it, he was done.

Everyone clapped, but there was a cheer from the back of the audience.

Isn’t it great to know that whenever we get scared or nervous, God is watching us, cheering us on? With Him on our side, why would we ever feel afraid?

Thank You, God, for encouraging me when life gets scary. With Your support, I know I’ll be just fine.

15

Cycle of Support Every one helps each other, and says to his brother, “Be strong!”

I saiah 41:6

Have you ever hesitated to do something good—until your friend came along and convinced you with just a couple of words?

We all need those kinds of friends. They sometimes nudge us out of our comfort zones, challenging us to do the right thing when it isn’t popular.

But have you ever thought that you can be that type of friend? Maybe a guy in your class is thinking about becoming a Christian. It’s obvious that he’s interested, but he’s also scared about what others might think.

In that case, a simple “Be strong” might be all it takes.

Once your friend knows he isn’t alone, there will be nothing else to hold him back.

Often, God grows our strength so we can help grow the strength of others, who then help grow ours. That is so cool.

Lord, I want to encourage my friends to do the right thing, just like You encourage me. Help me to be that kind of friend to someone today.

16

Through Water and Fire “When you pass through the rivers, they will not flow over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The fire will not destroy you.”

I saiah 43:2

Water and fire. What do those things have in common? If you answered, “They can both be dangerous,” then you’ve gotten the point of today’s verse.

Imagine walking through a river. You start off having fun, but before you know it your feet can’t reach the bottom anymore and you start drifting away. Yikes!

Or think about campfires. They’re great at taking the chill out of the air, but the moment you get too close . . .ouch! And don’t even think about walking through it.

When God split the Red Sea wide open to let the Israelites pass through, and when He protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, He proved His power over the deepest of waters and the hottest of fires.

If God has so much power over nature, He’s able to solve your problems.

God, I know that because You are strong, I can be strong too, no matter what comes my way.

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Strong through Tears You have seen how many places I have gone. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

P salm 56:8

Jonathan seemed fine to everyone else. He came to school, told jokes with his friends, and then went home.

Perfectly normal, right?

Not exactly. Every day Jonathan came home, he went to his room and cried. You see, Jonathan’s dad had passed away a year before that, and his mom had to work long hours. He only got to see her for a few minutes each day, and the babysitter didn’t pay much attention to him either.

How did Jonathan deal with such a sad situation? Well, every time he started crying, he remembered today’s verse: “Put my tears in Your bottle.” Over time, he felt different. It was almost like somebody had whispered in his ear, I’m here. Before long, his tears were drying. Sometimes, Jonathan even smiled. He knew God would stay by his side, no matter how sad life got.

Lord Jesus, life can be really sad sometimes.

But I know You hear me when I’m down, and that gives me a reason to be strong.

18

Peace vs. Panic “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.

I do not give peace to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

J ohn 14:27

Have you ever faced something scary—whether it was a hard test, a bully you see every day, or even moving to a new neighborhood—and you felt panicked? Of course.

Everybody does. And if you’re like most people, you probably whispered to yourself, “Stay calm.”

That’s easier said than done. Those two words alone won’t give you a solid enough foundation to beat your fear—you have to have something more.

That’s where Jesus comes in. Today’s verse tells us we can beat fear by leaning on His promise to always be with us. No matter how scary life gets, His Holy Spirit will provide a way for us to be strong. All we have to do is ask.

How simple is that?

Thank You, Jesus, for providing a way to stay peaceful when I panic. I’m so grateful to have You in my life.

19

Rolling with the Punches I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.

P hilippians 4:13

A lot of people see this verse and say something like, “Great! I’ll run for president, and God will make sure I win.”

That’s a really positive outlook, but it’s not what this verse is talking about. Not even close.

In the previous verse, the apostle Paul spelled out exactly what he meant: “I know how to get along with little and how to live when I have much” (verse 12). This means God enabled us to be strong through both easy times (when we might be tempted to forget the Lord) and hard times (when we start wondering where God is). In other words, He gives us the ability to handle hardships.

This verse isn’t magic you can use whenever you want something. If that were the case, many Christians around the world would be billionaires. Rather, it’s a reminder that through thick and thin, God has your back.

Isn’t that an even better promise?

Thank You, Lord, for promising to give me all I need to stand strong when things get tough.

20

Hopeless?

Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.

R omans 15:13

Have you ever messed up so badly—maybe on your schoolwork, or at home, or in a friendship—that you lost all hope for a happy ending? Knowing you’ve done something wrong, but being powerless to change it, is one of the most terrible feelings in the world.

We understand the feeling because we’ve all hurt someone we know. But have you ever stopped to think that every sin you commit hurts God Himself? How on earth can we make things up to Him? That’s where Jesus comes in. Because of His death on the cross, our hopeless situations can be turned around for good. Yes, we deserve punishment, but since Jesus already took that punishment, we can live forever with God. Letting this truth sink deeply into your heart is an important part of becoming a strong, hope-filled boy.

Lord, I’m glad I don’t have to be hopeless.

Instead, I can walk through life strong and secure. Thank You for this fantastic gift.

21

Searching for Strength I looked for the Lord, and He answered me.

And He took away all my fears.

P salm 34:4

People look for strength in some pretty messed-up places.

Some think making other people feel bad will somehow boost their own self-esteem—so they become bullies.

Some feel weak by themselves, so they hang around bad people who encourage them to do evil. Some even turn to alcohol or drugs to give them a “rush” of power— though it doesn’t take long before those things take over.

There’s got to be a better way, right?

Yes! Today’s verse points to the only way a boy can truly become strong: God. Without God, life is just empty and sad. But as long as you know God is with you, helping you along through the confusing parts of life, you have all the strength you need.

The search stops with Him. Lord God, I’m glad I don’t have to search for power in all the wrong places. Thank You for giving me all the strength I need.

22

Patience, Patience God has chosen you. You are holy and loved by Him. Because of this, your new life should be full of loving-pity.

You should be. . .gentle and be willing to wait for others.

C olossians 3:12

Kyle was getting impatient. The new kid—Jason was his name—just never stopped talking. Jason didn’t have many friends besides Kyle. So everything that was on his mind usually went into Kyle’s ears. Didn’t he know Kyle was busy?

But suddenly, Kyle remembered something. A couple of years earlier, he had been the new kid at school. He had made only a couple of friends right away, but those friends had been really nice to him. And if he was being honest, Kyle had to admit that he’d been something of a chatterbox himself. Where would he be now if his friends had just walked away?

Kyle took a deep breath and leaned against the hallway wall. “So, then what happened?” he asked—and then actually listened to Jason’s reply.

Lord, I know You’ve been unbelievably patient with me. Please give me the strength to be patient with others too, even when they seem annoying.

23

Pain Hurts The little troubles we suffer now for a short time are making us ready for the great things God is going to give us forever.

2 C orinthians 4:17

Nobody likes going to the dentist. It takes time, it’s kind of awkward, and—depending on the reason for your visit—it can hurt.

But imagine a world where everybody stopped going to the dentist. Healthy, shiny teeth would soon disappear—and many people might lose their teeth altogether.

Clearly, a little pain or discomfort here and there is worth the trouble of a healthy mouth.

The trials we face in this life are like trips to the dentist. They’re often sad and painful—if not physically, then emotionally. And sometimes, they may hurt a lot more than any dentist drill ever could.

But if shiny teeth sound like a great reward for going to the dentist, just think of the reward for staying faithful to God—eternal life with Him. Pain hurts, God. But because You’ve promised me heaven, I know I can be strong, even in the moments I’m hurting the most. Thank You for such an awesome reward.

24

Emergency You answered me on the day I called.

You gave me strength in my soul.

P salm 138:3

When Jordan went hiking with his friend Albert behind his house, he was expecting a fun, problem-free adventure. But about an hour into the walk, something horrible happened: Albert tripped and hit his head. At first, Jordan thought he was playing, but after a few seconds of Albert laying still, Jordan started to panic. What do I do?

Then he remembered the cellphone his mom had handed him just before he left. With trembling fingers, he dialed 911 and told the dispatcher the problem. Medics soon arrived, loading poor Albert onto a stretcher.

Good news: Albert turned out just fine.

With three taps on a phone, Jordan had access to trained emergency help. But think about this: you can call the best Doctor in the universe with a single word.

No matter what your emergency, call out to the one who made you. God is always listening, always waiting to answer.

Lord, I know You’re always available, even when I don’t have time for a long, fancy prayer. Because of that, I know I can be strong, no matter how scary life gets.

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